


Broken Boy

by EideticPrettyBoySpence



Series: My Bad Boy [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 00:49:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21329500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EideticPrettyBoySpence/pseuds/EideticPrettyBoySpence
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Original Female Character(s)
Series: My Bad Boy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537666
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Broken Boy

I’ve lived in California my whole life, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. The weather is great, sure, but my favorite thing about it is Billy Hargrove. We met when I was in kindergarten and he was in first grade; I was being bullied by some kid on the playground; after the boy pushed me down, giving me scrapes on my knee and palms, he punched him in the face, earning himself a black eye, and we’ve been best friends ever since. He didn’t even get in too much trouble for it once we explained the situation; just a talk about how to solve problems without violence. He took me to the nurse’s office, holding me until I stopped crying. Then he kissed my palms softly, promising he’d always protect me. And he’s never broken that promise in the ten years we’ve known each other.

He lives a few doors down from me, but I’ve never been to his house, he’d never let me. People might think he’s an asshole, but he’s got a perfectly legitimate reason for his anger: when his mom left his father, which was completely justified because he’s an abusive bastard, she didn’t take him. She knew he was being abused too, and she abandoned him.

One day when I’m nine years old, my mom and I are just sitting down to dinner when the doorbell rings frantically. We’re completely used to it by now, so all I have to do is stand up and go to answer the door. “It’s Billy, mom, I’ll be right back. I gotta get him in here before Neil catches up.” My mom just nods, already pulling out another plate and loading it with a huge piece of lasagna and a piece of garlic bread. I sprint for the door and open it to find my best friend bloody and sobbing, his shirt ripped from where he tore it out of his father’s grip. I pull him into my arms and rest my forehead against his shoulder, kicking the door shut and locking it with one hand. His shoulders are shaking with his sobs that are a mixture of shame, sadness and anger. I cup the back of his head with my hand and we rock back and forth for a moment.

“Hey, it’s ok, you’re safe now, I’ve got you. Mom won’t let him hurt you, and neither will I. I’d rather he hit me than have to watch him hit you again.” That’s too common of an occurrence; sometimes either Billy or I aren’t fast enough, and Neil is hitting him again by the time I open the door. “I’m not gonna let him hurt you anymore, I’m sick of it; sick of the cops not doing anything just because he throws money at them to look the other way. It’s not fucking right.”

Billy and I both jump as Neil bangs on the door, yelling like a madman. “Get the fuck out here you little shit!! I ain’t finished with you yet!!”

I let go of Billy and he goes to stand behind my mom; I open the door, catching Neil unaware enough that I can slam a knee into his stomach and a left hook to his jaw. He growls as he gets up, a bruise already for mind on his jaw. I clutch my hand against my chest, slamming and locking the door in his face. I turn around to see both my mother and Billy with their mouths open wide.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that. I probably should have had someone teach me how to throw a punch without hurting myself, though. I’m pretty sure I broke my hand; but it was worth it. You’re worth it, Billy.” See, what Billy doesn’t know is that I’ve had a crush on him since I was eight years old. But I know he’ll never love me that way, so I’m never gonna tell him. I walk over to the kitchen and sit down, trying to pick up my fork; it feels like a million white hot needles are being poked into me all at once, and I drop the fork onto the plate with a whimper. “Yeah, my hand is definitely broken. I might have cracked some bones in my wrist, too.”

“Jesus, Nyssa, let me see. Come here.” Billy takes my hand in his, palpating the bones gently. I whimper in pain and pull my hand back. He turns to my mom, concern on his face. “We need to take her to the emergency room, Mrs Kotlarz.”

We all pile in my mom’s car, Billy sitting on my uninjured side; I lean against his side, crying softly. “It hurts, Billy, it really hurts.”

“I know, Nyssa, I’ve got you. We’ll be at the hospital soon; they’ll get you all fixed up. I can’t believe you did that, it’s the coolest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

After waiting in the ER for forty-five minutes, Billy and I get into a room to wait. Fifteen minutes after that, I get an X-ray which confirms what I already knew: I’ve got shattered bones in my hand, and a couple in my wrist. I pick out pink for my cast, and then we walk back out to my mom. Billy steps over to the desk and talks with the receptionist for a moment before walking back over, a permanent marker in his hand. He holds my hand gently, signing his name; he even puts a little heart. Then he turns it over and kisses my palm softly.

When I’m fifteen, my whole world falls apart; my mom tells me we’re moving, to some town in the middle of nowhere in Indiana. “What the hell, why are you doing this to me? Who’s gonna protect Billy, mom? I can’t just leave him a million miles away with his abuser!! Neil is gonna go to far one day and kill him!! He’s my best friend, I can’t just leave him. I hate you!!”

I run out of the house, half blinded by tears, and rub behind Billy’s house. I grab a few decent size pebbles and throw them at his window. He opens the window and sticks his head out. “Nyssa? What the hell are you doing here? Wait... are you crying? Hold on, I’ll be right down; meet me at your house ok? I don’t want Neil to know you’ve been here, he’s still really mad that you punched him.”

I walk slowly back to my house and sink down onto the step, my head in my hands. Billy walks up a couple minutes later and sits next to me, wrapping his arms around me. I let out a choked sob and cling to his shirt with my good hand.

“What’s wrong, Nyssa? Come on, talk to me. You know you can talk to me.”

“My mom is a bitch and I fucking hate her. She’s making us move to some dinky town in the middle of Indiana and I’m never gonna see you again. I can’t be here to protect you, and something bad is gonna happen to you and I’ll never know.”

Billy sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck, Nyssa, that sucks. I’m really gonna miss you, shortie.” I giggle softly at the old nickname. “But don’t worry about me, I can handle Neil. And who knows, maybe we’ll see each other again someday. You might come back for a vacation or something.”

The next two weeks pass by in a blur, and before I know it, there’s a moving truck in my driveway being loaded with my whole life in boxes. I’m about to climb into my mom's car when I hear Billy shout for me as he jogs toward the house. I look at my mom and she nods, so I climb out and run toward him, throwing my arms around his neck with a sob.

“I don’t wanna go, Billy. I don’t know anyone in Hawkins, what if they’re all awful?”

“Hey, it’s gonna be ok. I want you to have something, so you don’t forget me,” he slides one of his bracelets onto my wrist before pulling me into his arms again. “Don’t worry about me, ok? I’ll be alright, I promise.”

“Nyssa, come on, we’ve gotta go,” my mom shouts from behind me.

I stand on tiptoes and kiss Billy’s cheek softly. “I love you, Billy. Please be safe, ok?”

“I love you too, Nyssa. I’ll see you, okay?”

“Yeah, see you.”

A few weeks later, it’s my first day of tenth grade. Most of the people are nice, but make no attempt to be my friend. Except for Nancy, Steve and Jonathan. Pretty soon we’re spending all our free time together, at someone’s house or another. Steve is a junior, but Nancy, Jonathan and I have a lot of the same classes. 

Our freshman year and the summer after seems to go by in a blur, and before I know it, it’s the first day of our junior year. We all end up pilling into Steve’s car so we don’t have to take the bus. We’re walking across the lawn, and I had just climbed the first step, when the roar of a speeding car cuts through the air. We all turn and see a blue Camaro squeal into a parking spot.

“Must be a new kid, that’s not a car you see every day around here,” Steve says, whistling softly. We watch the passenger door open and a redheaded girl with a skateboard steps out. She sets it down on the asphalt and skates off toward the middle school. Then the driver’s side door opens, and a gorgeous boy with a blonde mullet steps out, taking a cigarette from his lips and tossing it aside before turning to face the school. 

I gasp softly, my eyes filling up with tears; before I know it I’m running across the lawn, and I barely hear my friends shouts. All my attention is focused on the boy I never thought I’d see again. When I get close enough, I yell his name. “Billy!! Oh my god, Billy!!”

It seems like time slows down as my best friend turns towards me; his face lights up, and he jogs in my direction. I put on a burst of speed, crashing into him and throwing my arms around his neck with a sob, burying my face in his shoulder.

“Please tell me I’m not dreaming, please tell me you’re really here right now.” I pull back and my eyes drink in his features. He’s older than the last time I saw him, and even more attractive, but it’s unmistakably him. “What the fuck are you doing here, Billy? I never thought I’d see you again. God, I missed you so fucking much.”

“Neil met a woman from Hawkins when she was on vacation and they fell in love. And he decided that we’d move here instead of making her and her daughter move to Florida.”

“That poor woman, I almost feel sorry for her. But I’m glad Neil decided to move.” I cup his cheek in my hand. “I can’t believe this is real, I can’t believe you’re actually here. Come on, I wanna introduce you to my friends.” I wrap my arm around Billy’s waist and we walk back toward my friends, who look shocked. “Guys, this is Billy, my best friend from California. Billy, this is Nancy, her boyfriend Steve, and our friend Jonathan.”

“Hey, nice to meet you guys.” Billy shoots them his signature smirk, and butterflies beat frantically in my stomach. “I hope you’ve been taking care of my girl here.”

“Yeah, they're great. They’re the only friends I have besides a bunch of middle schoolers, but that’s only because they’re Nancy and Jonathan’s kid brothers and their friends. Do you have your schedule yet? I can show you where the office is, I have to get my schedule anyway.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. We’ll probably see you guys later, it was nice to meet you,” he slings his arm over my shoulder and we walk to the office to pick up our stuff, bringing them to our lockers which are just a few away from each other. We both grab a twelfth grade history book, and Billy whistles softly. “Damn, Nyssa, aren’t you just a junior? What are you doing with a senior history book?”

“I’m in a few advanced classes. History, English and math. Who do you have for history?” I peek at his schedule. “Wow, what are the chances we have the same history teacher? Come on, her classroom is this way.”

We take a couple seats at the back of the classroom so we can talk without the teacher knowing, and then we end up in the same math class, so we do the same thing. We split up after that: I go to science, and Billy heads off to his class. We meet by our lockers to stash our books and walk to the cafeteria together.

“So, tell me about Jonathan, he seems nice.”

“Billy Hargrove, are you jealous? You are, aren’t you? Don’t worry, there’s nothing going on between us. And I love them, but no one could ever replace you. I still can’t believe you’re here, Billy; I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Well I’m here now, shortie, and I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”

I study his face again, and I notice a bruise on his cheek; my hand balls into a fist and I make an angry noise under my breath. “Neil did that to you, didn’t he? He’s still fucking abusing you?! I cannot believe the cops still haven’t locked that asshole up!! God, I hate him so much, I’ve got half a mind to ask Steve for his keys so I can-“

Billy cuts off my rant by taking my face in his hands and kissing me softly. I sigh against his lips and relax into the kiss, standing on tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck and tangle my fingers in his mullet. Electricity travels down my spine, and it feels like forever goes by before he pulls away and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. He smirks at me and kisses my forehead softly.

“I dreamt about doing that every day since you left. But I didn’t know if I would ever get the chance. I wanted to kiss you that day, I was just too chickenshit and scared of what Neil would do to you if he caught us. I’m not scared of him anymore; he won’t touch you, I won’t let him.”

“I’ve been in love with you since I was eight years old, Billy. I never told you because I didn’t think there was any way you’d ever feel the same. And then I moved, and I thought I’d never see you again.” I twine my fingers with his, still standing pressed against him. “I figured some hot, skinny beach babe would have snapped you up by now, that you’d forget all about me. The day I found out I was moving was the worst day of my life. And when I saw you again, I thought I was dreaming for a minute. I still can’t believe you’re actually here. I’m scared I’ll wake up in the morning and you’ll be gone. That happened so many times the first few months after I moved.”

Billy kisses my forehead softly before taking my hand as we stand in line to get our food. “Yum, it’s chicken patty and macaroni day! My favorite.” I grab two patties, smiling at the lunch lady. “Hi Cindy, can I get two scoops? How are you? How’s the family?”

“Of course Nyssa, dear. The family’s good, thanks for asking. Jessica is home from college for a while. So that’s great, me and Frank will be sad to see her leave Saturday.”

“Tell her I said hello, yeah? Have a great day.”

“Of course I will. Thanks so much. Enjoy your lunch. And who is this handsome young man? I’ve never seen him around before.”

“Oh sorry, this is my-“

“I’m her boyfriend, Billy Hargrove. Nice to meet you, Cindy. Could I get an extra scoop of that mac n cheese, actually?” 

“And so polite, too; where have you been hiding him, Nyssa? How am I just meeting him now?”

“He was my best friend in California; until he climbed out of his car this morning I actually never thought I’d see him again.” I blush softly when Billy introduces himself as my boyfriend. I’ve wanted to hear what it would sound like for years, and it sounds even more amazing than I thought it would. “But yeah, he’s my boyfriend. Or he will be if he decides to ask me properly.” 

We pay for our food and sit down with Nancy, Jonathan and Steve, after we put mayo on our chicken patties. We continue to eat, talking about how our first day is going so far.

“So you said you’d be my girl if I asked you properly? How’s this work for you? Excuse me, Steve.” Billy finishes his food, and puts his tray away, coming back and stepping up on the table. Everyone is looking at us and I can’t help but laugh. “Nyssa Evelyn Irene Johnson, I’ve loved you since I was nine years old. You were my best friend, my protector even when I wished you wouldn’t, because I didn’t want you to get hurt, and the first and only girl I’ve ever loved. Would you make me the happiest boy in the world and be my girlfriend?”

“If I say yes, will you get off the table before you hurt yourself, or get in trouble? I’d say yes no matter what, but seriously, Billy Hargrove, get off the damn table before you fall off. I would love to be your girlfriend.” 

Billy hops down off the table and sits back down, pulling me into his lap and kissing me. The whole cafeteria erupts into applause and I smile as I kiss him back, tangling my fingers in his mullet.

Pretty soon it’s time to go back to class. Billy slings an arm over my shoulder as he walks me to the library for my free period. “I’ll see you in about an hour to walk with you to science, beautiful. Then I’ll drive you home if you want.”

“Yeah, I’ll just tell Steve I don’t need a ride when I see him in class later. Mom is gonna be so surprised and happy to see you.”

True to his word, my boyfriend is waiting for me when my free period is over. He carries my books and takes my hand, kissing my cheek when we reach the classroom. I sit next to Steve, who raises his eyebrows at me. I flip him off with a laugh. “Shut up, Harrington. I don’t wanna hear it. Oh, by the way, I don’t need a ride home. Billy’s gonna drive me so he can say hello to my mom.”

After class I walk to my locker, stuffing books into it for my homework. I’m struggling to get the straps over my shoulders when Billy strides over and snags it. I think he’s gonna help me slide it on my back but he slings it over his shoulder instead, holding his backpack by the straps in one hand. I smile and stand on tiptoes, pulling his lips to mine by the collar of his jacket. His tongue flicks over his bottom lip and he takes my hand, only letting go when we reach his Camaro.

“This is a gorgeous car, Billy, I love it. Another ‘present’ from Neil?” 

“I just told him I wasn’t gonna ride the bus, so he bought this for me. I’ve got to take Max to school anyway so it’s easier if we don’t have to ride the bus.”

He turns on the radio and Queen blasts out of the speakers. I watch him head bang and drum his fingers on the steering wheel and my heart swells. I still can’t believe he’s actually here in front of me right now; my eyes fill up with tears and I stare out the window hopefully before he notices. We pull out of the parking lot.

“You’re gonna want to take a left here, drive three blocks and take a right, then it’s the third house on the right. Let me go in first, then come knock on the door after like forty-five seconds. This is gonna be so great I can’t wait to see her face.” I kiss him softly and step out of the car, shutting the door and jogging up the sidewalk and into the house. “Mom, I’m home! Are you here?”

“Yeah I’m here, hold on a minute.” Right on cue, there’s a knock on the door. My mom looks up at the door, a look of confusion on her face. “That’s weird, who could that be? I didn’t order pizza, and it’s too early for the mail.”

“I don’t know, mom, I just got home. Why don’t you answer it and see?” I bite my lip to hide my smile as my mom turns to answer the door. Billy is standing there, eyes sparkling. “Billy Hargrove, is that you? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you drove all this way just to see us?”

Billy laughs and hugs my mom quickly. “Not that I wouldn’t do that, but no; actually Neil married some chick, her and her daughter live here so here I am. Can I come in?”

“Of course you can, we’re about to eat dinner. I’ll make you a plate, just a second. So you must go to Hawkins High then. Or did you graduate early?”

I unconsciously wrap my arm around Billy’s waist and slip my hand in his back pocket, and he slings an arm over my shoulders. “Yeah, he goes to Hawkins High. I thought I was dreaming when he stepped out of his Camaro this morning. Actually we’ve got some classes together; hooray for being in AP.”

Mom finishes Billy’s place setting and turns back to us, smile widening when she sees how we’re standing. “Well there’s a sight I never thought I’d see again. You two just picked up right where you left off, didn’t you.”

“Well, not quite right where we left off. But I’m getting ahead of myself.” Billy looks at me with his signature smirk. “Do you wanna tell her, or should I? Actually, don’t answer that, I want to ask her permission anyway. Ms Kotlarz, I’ve loved your daughter practically my entire life. The day you two moved away was one of the worst days of my life. The only good thing about moving here was knowing I’d see her again. I asked her earlier, but I wanted to ask you if I could have your permission to date your daughter.”

“Of course you can date my daughter, Billy. I always hoped you two would end up together, but then... well, you know what happened. I couldn’t think of a better person for Nyssa.”

“Yeah, me either.” I smile, cupping my boyfriend’s cheek in my hand, leaning in to kiss him softly. “I missed you so much, Billy.”

“Missed you too, Princess.”


End file.
